Nighthawks Complete Double-header Sweep of Wildcats

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – The Newbury College women's basketball team improved their winning streak to three games, handing  Wheelock College their first conference loss of the season with a 54-35 victory in the second game of the afternoon on Saturday. The Nighthawks are 4-2 in their last six games including back-to-back conference victories.

Sophomore Kailah Simon (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) turned in career highs of nine points and seven rebounds for Wheelock, while classmate Keneisha Milton (Boston, Mass./Wayland) had a game-high 11 boards and six points. Junior Kayla Drescher (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) turned in six points and seven boards, senior Joy Holliday (Milford, Mass./Milford) added six points, and junior Morgan Perry (Hartford, Conn./Metropolitan Learning Center) swatted a pair of shots. The Wildcats, who forced 23 turnovers while committing 22, were narrowly outrebounded, 47-44, and saw the Nighthawks shoot 6-of-21 on free-throw tries.

In Newbury's first game since Dec. 11, junior Shayla White (Dorchester, Mass./Wellesley) led the visitors with 15 points, canning a trio of threes, while sophomore Catherine O'Connell (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) had eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Wheelock held her to 6.7 boards fewer than her season average, which leads all NCAA divisions across both genders. Classmate Jasmine Bishop (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) added six points and seven rebounds.

A Drescher hoop and an ensuing freebie from Milton put the Wildcats on top, 3-2, 1:30 into the game, but the Nighthawks responded with the next 13 points over a 4:40 stretch, receiving scoring from five different players. Junior Maya Spratling (Dorchester, Mass./Cathedral) and Drescher later provided consecutive hoops to draw the hosts within 18-9 by 9:47 of the opening half, but the visitors scored the next 10 points, as two straight threes from senior Ashley Monteiro (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin School) capped the run. The Nighthawks used a 5-of-12 showing from three-point range during the stanza to create a 34-17 halftime lead.

Simon netted the first three points of the second half, bringing Wheelock within 14, but it came no closer. Newbury expanded its lead to as many as 23, though the Wildcats put together a modest 9-2 run to make it a 49-33 game with 2:54 remaining. Holliday notched all six of her points in that stretch. Senior Caitlin Kerr (Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan) hit a pair of freebies with 1:04 left to cap the scoring.

Newbury improves to 2-1 in the conference and 4-7 overall while Wheelock drops to 3-7 on the season and 2-1 in the NECC. The Nighthawks return to the hard-court on Tuesday January 11^th when they host Bay Path College (0-10; 0-2 NECC) at 7:00pm.

- Game story provided by: Josh Kessler, Sports Information Director - Wheelock College

- Game photo by: Samantha Yanofsky